Racing Coverage

Contracts in other professional sports often include clauses that restrict players from dangerous hobbies.

Tony Stewart proved again last Saturday he doesn’t play by the same rules.

One year after breaking his leg in a sprint car accident, Stewart returned to his racing roots last Saturday in dirt racing at little Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.

He and Kevin Ward Jr. bumped during the 25-lap main event, sending Ward’s car into the outside guardrail. Ward got out of his car, ran onto the track to confront the three-time NASCAR champion. A moment later, Ward was dead after the right-rear tire on Stewart’s car struck the 20 year-old driver.

Stewart then skipped last Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International. His team said Stewart hasn’t decided if he will drive this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Meanwhile, a sport that relies heavily on the star power of its top drivers is dealing with another void.

Stewart missed the final 15 races of the 2013 season while recovering from his broken leg. Stewart-Haas Racing was left to make do after forfeiting its spot in the Chase for the Championship.

The team probably won’t make the playoffs this year, either.

Stewart acknowledges he has responsibilities as a car owner. Not only does he have his own car to worry about, but he also has a stake in cars driven by Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick.

Although so many people are dependent on him, Stewart refused to curtail his hobby of dirt racing despite a series of problems that threatened the livelihood of others in his organization — and his life as well.

Just a week before he broke his leg last year, he was involved in a 15-car crash at Canandaigua that left Alysha Ruggles, 19, with a compression fracture in her back.

“I like doing what I’m doing. I get the best of both worlds,” Stewart said last month. “I get to race with the best stock-car drivers in the world every week, and getting to run dirt tracks on either the off nights or sometimes during a Cup weekend, I get to go sneak off for anything.”

Most professional athletes in stick-and-ball sports are prohibited from doing anything dangerous away from the playing field.

Racing is different. Drivers often compete in other series to fulfill their need for speed. Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick often compete in Nationwide Series races. David Ragan and Kyle Busch complete in Late Model races, and Kurt Busch raced in this year’s Indianapolis 500. Brian Vickers skydives.

Stewart races on dirt.

“Everybody has hobbies,” he said. “Everybody has stuff they like to do when they have downtime, and that’s just what it is for me ...

“I feel like there are a lot of other things I could be doing that are a lot more dangerous and a lot bigger waste of time with my time off than doing that.”

Stewart’s hobby, however, has ramifications. His No. 14 Chevrolet has primary sponsorship from Mobil 1 and Bass Pro Shops. Together they combine to pay about $1 million a race to keep their name up front — and attached to Stewart.

Regan Smith filled in for Stewart at Watkins Glen. While he has proven to be a capable driver in the Nationwide Series, he’s not who Mobil 1 and Bass Pro Shops want in their car.

Mobil 1 and Bass Pro Shops stood by Stewart last year when he broke his leg. With yet another setback created away from NASCAR, those companies could start demanding that Stewart do a better job of protecting their investment.

But for now, the entire racing community is trying to work through the grief and horror of the death of a young driver. Eventually, however, it will become a business decision that affects the entire sport.

Stewart already has withdrawn from a dirt race on Saturday night in Indiana. Whether he returns to dirt-racing is question only Stewart can answer.